Signaling device.



vM. 1. MANDELBAUM.

SIGNALING DEVCE.

AFPLICA'HDN FILED DEC. E, 1912.

Patented Jan. 4, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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WIM'ESSES ATTHNEYS M. JOSEPH MANDELBAUM, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y.

SIGNALING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led December 6, 1912. Serial No. 735,223.

To all ici/mm 'it may concern Be it known that I, M. JOSEPH MANDEL- nAUii. a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city ot' New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New Yorlnhave invented a new and lmproved Signaling Device, of which the ollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved signaling device for automobiles and similar vehicles, and arranged to permit the chauffeur to display warning signals during the day and night to following vehicles whenever' it is desired to stop the vehicle or to turn from a straight course tothe right or to the left.

ln order to accomplish the desired result use is made ot' a casing, preferably located on one ot' the rear mud guards, a series of signs mounted to swing in the said casing independent 011e of the other, the signs being normally in a dormant position, and manually-controlled means connected with the said signs for swinging the saine into display position, that is, in register with a display opening in the rear of the said casing.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a plaii' view of the signaling device as applied to an automobile; Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of the illuminating device and the alarm; Fig. 3 is a perspective view ot' the signaling casing containing the display signs and supporting the alarm or emitting an audible signal; Fig. e is an enlarged sectional side elevation of the saine; Fig. 5 is a rear end elevation of the display signs and the curtain for normally closing the display opening in the casing; and Fig. (3 is an enlarged cross section of part of the bearing on which the display signs are mounted to swing.

The casing A of the signaling device is attached to a vehicle on the desired rear part, preferably, however, to the rear end of the mud guard Bior the right rear wheel of the automobile or other vehicle B, as shown in Fig. l. Viithin the casing A are arranged a plurality of signs C, D and E, preferably made of glass or other transparent or translucent material, and having legends thereon, as follows: lThe sign C bears the legend Right and an arrow pointing to the right, as plainly indicated in Figs. 3 and 5; the sign D ,bears the legend Stopg and the sign E bears the legend Left, Similar to the sign C. The signs C D and E are normally in inactive position in the uppeijportion ot' the casing A, as plainly indicated in Fig. d, and the Said signs are mounted on supporting arms C, D, E" mounted to swing independent ot' each other on a transverse hollow bearing F supported on hollow posts F attached to the bottom of the easing A, as plainlv indicated in Figs. 4 and 5. The arms NC, D and E are pressed on by springs C2, D2 E2 attached to the front end of the casing A so as to normally hold the signs C, D and E in uppermost inactive position. The

Patented dan. d, M916.

signs C, D and E can be swung independ ently downwardly and rearwardly into register with a display opening A formed in the rear wall otthe casing A, and preferably covered up by a pane A2 of glass orother transparent or translucent material so that the corresponding 'legend is displayed in1 the openinfr A as aV signal to the operator in charge ot' a following vehicle.

In order to impart downward swinging movements to the signs C, D and E, use is made of ropes, cables, chains or other flexible connections Gr, of', G2 attached to the rear ends of the signs and extending downwardly through guides G3 arranged at the bottom of the casing A, to then pass through openings in one end of the casing A (see Fig. and then to pass around the guide. pulleys G (see Fig. l.) mounted on the body ot' the automobile o:- Ither vehicle B. The rlexible connections d and G2 then extend forwardly to the ".ashboard B2 of the vehicle and connect there with levers H, H', H2 ulcrumed on the dashboard B2 and within convenient reach of the chantleur or other operator in charge of the vehicle. Now when the operator swings the lever H downward a pull is exerted by the iiexible connection Gr on the sign C so as to swing the saine downward into display position, that is, into register with the display opening A', and when the operator returns the lever H to normal vertical position then the sign C returns to normal uppermost position by the action of its spring C2. 'In a like manner the signs D and E are actuated bythe operator correspondingly inanipulat- 'rngthe levers hHl, H2, and the signs return to normal position by the action of their icc . the opening s rings D2, E2 as soon as the levers H and are returned to vertical position.' 4 It is understood that when the operator desires to signal that the vehicle is coming to a, stop, the lever H is actuatedto swing the sign D into display desired to lturn to the right the lever H is manipulated to swing the sign C into display position, yand when it is desired to turn to the left the lever H2 is actuated to move the signv .E iig? display position relative to lVhen'the si ns (LD and E are in normal uppermost position, the display opening .A

is curtained by a curtain I winding and unwinding on a spring roller I.journalcd on the bottom of the easing A. The free end of the curtain I is connected with. a swing frame 'IfL fulcrumed loosely on the bearing F, and the said swing frame is pressed on by a spring I3 to normally hold theswing frame in uppermost position with the curtain l unwound from the roller I in front of the display opening A. The free-endet' the swing frame I2 normally rests on the rear end of the. sign C, and the swing frame I-2 is pro-l` vided with a cross bar I adapted to beengaged by the rear members of the arms'D and E, so that when either sign C, D or E 1s swung downward into display position it carries the swing frame Iz along to allow the roller I to wind up the curtain I during the time the .sign is in display position. W'hen the sign is returned to normal upprmost position the curtain I is unwound from the roller I owing to the return movement of the swing trame I2.

The' return movement of the signs C and D is limited by stops A3, A* arranged on the top of the 'casing A, and the sign E is limited in return movement by the front of the casing, as indicated in Fig. 4. v

During the night the interior' of the casing A is' illuminated, and for this purpose -use is made of a series of lamps J, preferably electric lamps, arranged opposite the display opening A,`and in front of the signs C,

down into display position, so that the ra s oi light'otI the lamps I illuminate the dis# playsign C, D or Eto render the same readily visible to the operator in a. following ve'- hicle. The electric lamps J" are preferably mounted in sockets J arranged in the support I", and thecireuit wires K for the electric lamps J extend' through, the hollow bear` ing Fand one of the posts I4v to connect with a battery L and with a sw1tch contact N 4adapted to be engaged by a switch lever N arranged on the dashboard B2 adjacent the lever H2. Thus when the lever N is swung into engagement withv the contacts N then the circuit Afor the lamps J is closed so that the lamps are' ignited'and provide the dered illumination. C Y

position, when it is' and Il at the timethe latter are swung l winding end .lmwindilm' :on

An 'electric alarm O, of any approved eonstruct-ion, is preferably mounted on the top of the casing A and is provided with a rearwardly extending horn O to direct the sound rearward to be heard bythe operator in charge of the following vehicle. The circuit wires O2 of this electric alarm are cennected with a battery O3 or other source of electrical energy located on the 'vehicle B. The circuit wires O2 are provided with sets of vContact plates P, P and P2 (seelfig. 2) in alinement with the levers H, H, H2 so that when any one of the said levers is swung downward by the operator, as previously explained, then the lever makes contact withthecorrespond'ing set of contact points P, P

or P2 to close the circuit and'to sound the alarm O. Thus when either of the signs C, D and E is kdisplayed then the alarm O is oulnded audiblyto warn afollowing ve- The signaling device shown and described, is verysimple and durable in constructionl and composed of comparatively few parts, not liable easily to get out of order.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent: y

1."A signaling device for automobiles and similar vehicles, comprising a casing having a display opening, a series of signs mounted to swing in the .said casing one independent of the other, the signs being normally one above the other and ont of register with the said display opening, manually-controlled actuating means under the control vof the v operator in' charge of the machine for' swinging either of the said signs intodisplay position at the said display opening,

a spring roller mounted in the said casing,-

a curtain winding and unwinding on the said roller, and operating means connected with the free end' of the said curtain to ncrmally close the .display opening, the said operating ineens being adapted to be engagedby the said signs to allow the roller to wind up the ,curtain on moving aV sign into display position. v

2. A signaling device .for automobiles vand similar vehicles, comprising a casing having a display' openin at the rear, a transverse bearing arrange( in the easing, stop and turn-out signs within the said. casing and normally out of register with the opening', arms ycarrying the said signs the other on the said bearing, springs pressing the Said armsto normally hold the signs in normal inactive position, levers under the control of the operator, flexible' connections connecting the said levers with the said signs to. swing the latter in displaying posi tion at :the said vdisplay' opening, la spring roller journaledin the --sad-casing, a curtain rhv an mounted to swing independent one of y said '.roller said dis- 

